It might not feel that way today as the Midshipmen wake up and realize they failed to achieve many of their goals.

Navy lost to both Air Force and Army in the same year for the first time since 2001. That was the last miserable (and winless) season of the Charlie Weatherbie era, so it's not exactly a fond memory.

Head coach Ken Niumatalolo stated in preseason that reclaiming the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy and capturing the American Athletic Conference championship ranked as 1 and 1A on the team's list of goals.

I hate to say it, but Navy did not look good in either of its service academy games. Air Force and Army both dominated the Navy offense, rendering it rather punchless. The Midshipmen averaged 82.5 rushing yards in the two losses, not at all what you would expect out of a program that hangs its hat on running the football.

Clearly, it was a huge accomplishment for Navy to secure a berth in the AAC championship game. The Midshipmen went undefeated against West Division opponents and lost just one league game all season.

Navy not only won the West, it did so in dominant fashion, averaging 52.6 points and 537.3 total yards over the final six conference games. It was an overpowering display of offensive football and quarterback Will Worth deserves a lot of credit for leading the way. Offensive coordinator Ivin Jasper had a magical season as a play-caller as the Midshipmen were literally unstoppable.

Head Coach Ken Niumatalolo and QB Zach Abey talk about Navy's loss to Army in the 117th annual Army-Navy game on December 10, 2016. (Ulysses Munoz / BSMG)

Head Coach Ken Niumatalolo and QB Zach Abey talk about Navy's loss to Army in the 117th annual Army-Navy game on December 10, 2016. (Ulysses Munoz / BSMG)

Unfortunately, it all came crashing down in the American Athletic Conference championship game. Worth broke a bone in his foot early in the second quarter and the offense fell to earth after getting smacked in the mouth by an aggressive, hard-hitting Temple defense that ranks among the nation's best.

Getting pounded, 34-10, in the conference championship was another painful moment in this roller coaster season.

One must look at the overall body of work and a 9-4 record in what was thought to be a rebuilding campaign is an outstanding accomplishment. Navy still has a chance to reach 10 victories for the second straight season, which would be a first in program history.

That being said, it's hard to shake the negative feeling that comes from the fact Navy did not play well in the three most important games of the season – Air Force, Army and the AAC championship.

There must also be some mixed feelings for the Navy seniors, who became the winningest class in program history (37-14) this season. However, these seniors will also be remembered as the class that allowed Army to end its historic 14-game losing streak in the series.

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I still do not know what to think about Niumatalolo's decision to scrap the triple-option in favor of a read-option look for the Army-Navy game. I certainly understand the reasoning behind it as the Mids did not move the ball very well against the Black Knights the previous two years.

Air Force has used a shotgun formation to give Army some trouble in recent seasons, so that also entered into the thinking. Last but not least, the Navy coaching staff knew there was a chance it would have just one week to prepare for the archrival. Installing the read-option out of shotgun formation enabled the Mids to practice a package throughout the season and surprise the Black Knights.

On the other hand, it seems somewhat defeatist to go into the biggest game of the year not believing you can win by doing what you do best. The triple-option offense is the foundation on which this program was built, the main reason why Navy has posted winning records in 13 of the last 14 seasons.

I hesitate to question the all-time winningest head coach in Navy football history, but I have a hard time wrapping my head around the idea of abandoning the program's offensive identity.

Navy runs the triple-option. Niumatalolo has said many times, "That's who we are." The Midshipmen have added some wrinkles to the offense over the years, but the basic philosophy has never changed.

If you can't beat Army running the offense that defines Navy football and that you practice every day of the season, then maybe you don't deserve to win.

In defense of Niumatalolo, it's impossible to draw any conclusions about whether the read-option package would have worked because Navy only ran 36 plays the entire game. As Jasper pointed out afterward, the inability to string together first downs and move the chains prevented the Mids from getting into any sort of offensive rhythm.

However, the fact quarterback Zach Abey, along with fullbacks Chris High and Shawn White, were the only players to carry the ball on Saturday was striking. This game plan took the slotbacks entirely out of the equation. That's not Navy football because it takes the triple threat out of the triple-option.

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Navy needs to get this defensive situation straightened out. After 13 games, I think we can accurately call a spade a spade by stating this unit just is not very good. The Midshipmen cannot stop anybody, and that is fact, not opinion.

A quick inspection of the season statistics supports that statement.

Niumatalolo has noted that it's hard to play defense in this era of college football with all the high-powered spread offenses that populate the Football Bowl Subdivision. That is true as points and yards are way up across the country.

To be sure, Navy struggled mightily against those attacks that employ five (or more) receivers to spread out the defense and get the ball into the hands of speedy skill position players out in space. But guess what? The Midshipmen were just as bad the past two weekends against power rushing teams.

Temple scored 34 points and amassed 388 total yards by combining the zone run with the play-action pass. Army used its version of triple-option offense to amass 351 total yards in a game of limited possessions.

Navy has now allowed the opponent to score on its opening possession in nine straight games, a truly incredible statistic. It is just so deflating to see teams come out and march right down the field for a touchdown.

I have no idea what the answer is, but defensive coordinator Dale Pehrson and his staff have to find a way to get it fixed. Navy was pretty darn good on defense last season as compared to recent history. Yes, the Mids lost some outstanding parts, but I don't really think the personnel is all that different from a year ago.

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It was encouraging to hear seniors Jamir Tillman and Amos Mason talk about having one more game to play and the need to bounce back by winning a bowl game. Navy really does need to beat Louisiana Tech in the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl to prevent this season from ending on a really sour note.

Getting blown out by Temple in the AAC championship, losing to Army for the first time since 2001 and falling to a foe from Conference USA would leave a very bad taste in the mouths of everyone associated with Navy football.

To be perfectly honest, Navy versus Louisiana Tech is not the most compelling matchup on the postseason schedule. I usually get excited about covering bowl games, but going to Fort Worth to see the Midshipmen meet the fighting Bulldogs doesn't exactly have me rushing to pack the suitcase.

My own lack of enthusiasm aside, this game suddenly takes on increased importance for Navy, which really does not want to close out the 2016 campaign on a three-game losing streak. There is also the milestone of 10 wins to think about, along with finishing on a positive note in order to carry some momentum into the offseason.

I hope Mason, Tillman and the rest of the seniors are serious about bringing complete focus and effort into their preparations for the Armed Forces Bowl.

***

Zach Abey struggled in his first career start, and that was certainly not unexpected. Putting an inexperienced sophomore into the awe-inspiring atmosphere of Army-Navy and in a game of such intensity was asking an awful lot.

It certainly didn't help that Abey was facing an Army defense that now ranks fourth nationally in average yards allowed and was led by a pair of outstanding inside linebackers in Andrew King and Jeremy Timpf.

Abey looked nervous and uncertain in the first half and clearly made some costly mistakes. The Archbishop Spalding graduate should never have thrown that pass to Jamir Tillman on a fly pattern and the adrenaline really showed when he sailed a pass way over the head of slotback Calvin Cass Jr., who was wide open.

There were several instances in which Abey simply did not properly run the play that was called — a sure sign of nerves. The Pasadena resident was supposed to pitch the ball to Tillman on a gadget play, but started to pitch to the slot instead and was forced to turn upfield for no gain.

It was about as bad a first half as Abey or the coaching staff could have imagined. However, the good news is that Abey came out in the second half and looked far more confident and performed much better.

Abey's 41-yard touchdown run, in which he shrugged off a high tackle at the line of scrimmage then cut back against the grain and broke several arm tackles en route to the end zone, was a thing of beauty.

The Spalding product also made some nice throws in the second half, zipping passes to Tillman and Brandon Colon for nice gains while setting up and delivering a screen pass to fullback Shawn White exactly as designed.

The bottom line is, it seems clear to me that Abey has great potential and is only going to grow from the big-game experience he just gained. I predict you will see a vastly-improved Zach Abey in the Armed Forces Bowl.

The 6-foot-2, 218-pound sophomore still has a long way to go in terms of learning Navy's triple-option offense, understanding how to read defenses and figuring out how to make adjustments at the line of scrimmage. However, from what I've seen so far, the Mids have found their quarterback of the future.